22 - David
I couldn’t wait for this fucking job to be over. The pack assets had been sold, the accounts emptied, and the money distributed among the pack members in a way that both Dominic and I agreed was fair. The only thing we were now waiting for was for the last several groups of wolves to be picked up and escorted to their new packs.
All of Gina’s friends agreed to join our pack, as soon as they helped their parents and families settle in their new packs. I’d be lying if I said that parts of the process hadn’t been sad. Seeing families and neighbors crying and saying goodbye to each other after they’d thought they’d be living in close proximity for the rest of their lives? It set my wolf on edge since dismantling a pack went against all our instincts as wolves. But what they had allowed to go on with impunity had been even worse.
“Do you think I’m being too harsh on them?” I asked Dominic one night at dinner.
“What makes you ask that?” The fucker would eat silver before voluntarily revealing a piece of himself so, of course, I was getting a question back.
“I don’t know, sometimes I worry that I punished them this hard only because they sinned against my mate.”
“And that would be bad why?”
“It just doesn’t seem... kingly,” I winced slightly at the thought.
“You’ve never been very kingly, so I wouldn’t worry about it,” he shrugged and continued eating his meal.
Although Dominic was two years older than me, we'd been to several Alpha training camps together in our teens and early twenties, and if I didn’t know better, I’d even call him a close friend. Spending time with him again and working side by side would normally have been nice. Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy a moment of it and I was well aware that my wolf would keep driving me crazy until we were back at Regina’s side.
“I can’t wait to go back home,” I sighed wistfully at the thought of my beautiful mate. How was she doing? Was she feeling better? Did she miss me like I missed her?
“So you’ve said.”
“Oh, drop the stoic facade. Like you don’t miss your mate,” I shot back but his face remained impassive. “By the way, when will you and Penelope come visit us? Other than meeting her briefly at the trial, I’ve never even properly spoken to her.”
“We’ll see.”
It was like pulling teeth, which I was used to with him and it stopped bothering me a long time ago. This time, however, I did wish he could be a bit more open with me, since I would have loved to get the perspective of someone who had been widowed and now had a second chance mate – I had hoped his experience would shed light on some issue Regina might be struggling with. But aside from simply saying it had been unexpected and that the timing of meeting her had been less than ideal, he remained annoyingly tight-lipped about the whole thing.
“I don’t get you, Dom.”
“You’re not required to.”
“How in the world does young Penelope put up with you?”
His jaw tightened at that. It was hardly noticeable, but I noticed it.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, she’s a young female, basically left alone for months at a time in a new pack, mated for the first time to a widowed wolf who rarely talks, and when he does, it’s almost never about himself. That can’t be easy for her, especially since she might be insecure about being your second mate.”
“You think that’s something she would mind?” He looked oddly vulnerable for a second.
“The not talking or the second mate thing?”
“Both.”
“The not talking, definitely yes. The second mate thing, that depends on you, Dom, on how much you've shown her that she's now the only one for you, and how loved and valued she feels.”
Was that panic I detected in his eyes?
“I had a lot on my mind lately. As soon as I deal with some things, I’ll have the time to work on our mating more.”
“What things? Dom – don’t tell me you’re still on that? It’s been over a year!”
“Leave it alone, David. I’m not discussing this with you.”
“Fine. It’s your life, Dom, and I know you won’t come crying to me when you ruin it so go ahead.”
???
When I finally reached my pack, I was barely able to stand from exhaustion. I had driven for 22 hours straight, stopping only for short coffee and bathroom breaks. My last week at what was formerly the Spruce Mountain pack was pure hell. I couldn’t sleep, I had trouble eating, and my wolf was extremely agitated. I couldn’t bear the thought of being away from my mate for even a moment longer. As soon as I entered the palace, I was almost knocked over by her scent and felt goosebumps forming all over my arms. It was like finally breathing again after having been underwater for more than a minute. I inhaled as deeply as I could and let her essence flow through me. Regina . I sensed her coming before I heard her feet hitting the tiles as she ran towards me. It seemed like she had missed me, too.
We were hugging and pressing and squeezing each other, and I was stroking her hair, and her face was wet for some reason; I could barely keep my eyes open but I looked at her for as long as I could, and she was a vision with her now slightly longer hair pinned with some shiny blue hair clips that made me smile because I knew she had bought them herself. We said I missed you and I love you and look at you and you’re back, and finally come here . My name was on her lips and it brought me even closer to passing out.
“David, why are you so out of it? Did you drive all the way here without stopping?”
“Mhm,” I nodded into her neck.
“Are you crazy?”
I didn’t even respond, I just rested more of my body weight on her shoulder.
“Okay, that’s it. You need to shower and then sleep. Come on.”
She dragged me to our room, where I was instructed to undress as she turned on the shower. She got in with me and I didn’t even think anything sexual of it, that’s how exhausted I was. Gina started soaping my back and gently scrubbing my arms and shoulders, just running her small soapy hands all over me. I could feel the stress and worry leaving my body together with the foam running down the drain. We were both naked, slippery, and hot from the water, and it was getting harder to tell where I ended, and she began.
My mate led me to our bed and after she dried me off, we just laid there, holding each other tightly, before she sort of arched her naked body into me as her fingers traveled into my hair. We just gazed into each other’s eyes for several long moments, until she came up to kiss me. Everything else ceased existing, even David and Regina as separate entities; we were now completely melted together in that kiss that transcended the purely physical aspect of the act. That kiss said I love you, I’m yours, we’re in this together, we are one forever . She kept running her fingertips over my shoulders, over my back, over my jaw, leaving trails of fire in their wake, and I was now only skin, hungering for more.
I then made my way down her body, licking and sucking and kissing and just getting lost in the feeling of safety, warmth, and love, and I hoped my touch was helping her feel that way too. I gently kissed the scars on her belly and they no longer made me angry. Instead, they made me proud of my savage warrior.
Then, I could feel her pleasure in my mouth, and she soon pulled me up to her face and said a single word: please . I took it as an order instead of a plea, and I obeyed. I didn’t know if it was the fact that we were mates who had been apart for months, or that it was my first time sharing my body with someone, or that I was floating on the cloud of blissful exhaustion that felt like a dream, but as we moaned into each other’s mouths all I could think was I would never be the same again, not after having fused my soul with hers during this experience.
As I felt myself approaching climax, I held her tighter and licked her soft, white neck before sinking my teeth into it. She shattered in my arms immediately, her clenches triggering my own release, and I could feel and taste and see with my eyes closed everything that Regina was feeling, and everything that she was. My mate’s soul was the most beautiful thing I had the honor of witnessing in my entire life. My savage female didn’t leave me waiting for long - she immediately marked me back and I could hear her gasp softly before we both fell back on the bed, sated and beyond exhausted.
I woke up lying on my stomach, with no idea of how much time had passed, and found Regina sitting next to me on her side of the bed, journaling.
“Good morning,” I said hoarsely, and she smiled at me. My heart wanted to leap out of my chest.
“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”
“I did,” I said and rolled over to her to put my head on her lap. “What time is it?”
“Just before noon, I think.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, you were pretty tired last night.”
“I hope - ” I cleared my throat. “I hope that didn’t negatively affect the experience for you.”
I was suddenly suffocating under the weight of a fear I didn’t even know I had.
“David – I've never ever experienced anything like last night. In fact, I’ve been trying all morning to put it into words somehow, hence the journal,” she held it up to show me. “But I’m failing because it was beyond words.”
I could feel her utter honesty through our bond. Together with her radiant love and affection for me, which was laced with a hint of lust whenever she looked at me.
“I thought that was just me. I felt like I could, I don’t know, taste your feelings.”
“Oh my God, that’s exactly what it felt like! I loved it, and I can’t wait to see what else we might discover together.”
She didn’t have to wait long. I lifted my head and kissed her gently, and she responded immediately by deepening the kiss and moaning softly. I was on fire from that sound alone. I sat up and dragged her onto my lap. We were both still naked from last night, so our cores instantly connected, and I couldn’t believe how good she felt against my erection. She was grinding on it gently and I was moaning helplessly, which seemed to spur her on.
“I want you inside me, now,” she ordered in that husky voice that seemed to be reserved for arousal.
“Yes, ma’am. Your mate can’t last very long yet,” I warned her, “but he can do it often, so be patient with me.”
“I don’t think I’ll last much longer either,” she said as she lowered herself onto my length and we both hissed as she completely engulfed it.
“You feel so good, Gina, fuck,” I said against her breast as she rode me. “Say my name, love, say it,” I begged.
“David,” she moaned, “yes, keep doing that, oh I love you, I love you, yes, oh -”
I took her mouth in mine, trying to eat and swallow and forever keep all the words and sounds of encouragement she was making, and less than two minutes later, we both climaxed together.
“Well, that was what they call short but sweet,” I grinned at her and she gave me a lazy grin back as she tried getting off of me. “Stay where you are, love, I’m not done yet.”
Some two hours later, we were brought lunch and we reluctantly got dressed to let Patty into the room without scandalizing her.
“I like that you’re wearing my shirt,” I told her as we sat down at the small table in the corner of the room.
“Yeah, sleeping in your stuff helped calm my wolf while you were gone. And I kind of lost my pajamas anyways, so it all worked out.”
“Well. The pajamas – I took them before I left,” I admitted, only half-embarrassed, and she laughed.
“I can’t believe you! You know I would have given you any piece of clothing you wanted if you had asked. I can’t believe I didn’t notice you’d been in my room, you sneak. You know what, that’s actually funny,” she got this glint in her eye, “that's actually a mating custom in my mother’s pack, the male has to steal an item of clothing from the female’s room without her noticing. Isn’t that a funny coincidence?”
“I wouldn’t call it funny. Or a coincidence.”
“What do you mean?” she frowned.
I laid my cutlery down on the table and interlaced my fingers on the white tablecloth, trying not to appear shy about what I was about to say.
“From the moment I’d met you, I wanted to know all there was to know about you, but since we didn't have the typical start that most mates do, my options were kind of limited. I knew you were connected to many different packs in different ways so I decided I would court you in all of their ways, and then it became a compulsion, I guess. I wanted to show you I was worthy to be your male in as many ways as I could.”
“David, that is so beautiful. You do know you are absolutely worthy and are the best mate I could ask for, right?”
“I do now,” I grinned because the truth of her words emanated from her so strongly I could almost touch it.
“Good. So wait, you did the Pembrokeshire theft. You waited for me, and you always wear something green,” she pointed at my boxers.
I immediately felt myself hardening. I would have to quit my job if I continued reacting to her like this.
“You gave me your wolf’s braid. Was there anything else?”
“I hunted and skinned that deer for you, the one we ate at our first breakfast together.”
“But... you must have caught it while my trial was still ongoing?” she was visibly taken aback.
“Yes. Why are you surprised?”
“I sometimes still can’t fathom how easily you accepted me. Dr. Jackson helped a lot, but it still sometimes sneaks up on me, the insecurity.”
“Were you happy with her and the work you did together?”
“Oh, she was the best. And therapy was life-changing. I’ll actually let you read my journal entries from the last three months if you’re interested?”
“I’d love that, thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but back to you courting me,” she grinned. “Was there anything else?”
“Do you remember that first dinner you cooked, when everyone came over?”
“Yeah?”
“I picked the currants from the greenhouse and had the Omegas give them to you,” I said proudly. “And then when we went to the greenhouse, I wiped my sweaty forehead with a handkerchief and gave it to you,” my mate had silent tears streaming down her face as she processed my words, but unlike before, I wasn’t alarmed because now I could feel how overwhelmed with love and gratitude she was.
I stood up and went over to my bag that someone must have carried up while we were in the shower last night.
“Before I left for Spruce Mountain, I arranged to start apprenticing with a carpenter here in town to build you a bed. And I brought you this,” I took the spoon pendant out of my bag and handed it to her.
She froze before grabbing it and hugging it to her chest, sobbing almost painfully while rocking back and forth, hugging the spoon as if it were Dorothy.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she kept saying through tears, and I picked her up and held her in my lap until she calmed down.
“I can’t believe you remembered.”
“You were so devastated at the trial that I couldn’t get your face out of my head. And I figured you'd also want to give her a proper burial, so I made arrangements to have her exhumed before I drove here. Now all that is left to do is for you to decide where to move her body.”
“As much as I would like to bury her here, I think she needs to go back to Wales, to be where Thomas is. Can we go to the funeral?”
“Absolutely, my love.”
???
In the evening, we went downstairs to have dinner with my mother, John, and Elizabeth. I hadn’t seen Mom in a long time, and it was nice to see her finally healing a little bit after my father’s death. We talked about the pups, who apparently missed their favorite (and only) uncle while he was gone; John updated me on Court matters, and Elizabeth and Regina seemed to have become close friends while I was away. My heart was full. I had everything I’d ever need right here at this table.
“I see congratulations are in order,” Elizabeth had said as soon as she laid eyes on our necks. “So, when are you guys having the mating ceremony,” she asked teasingly.
I just looked at my mate for guidance.
“No idea? Should we even have one?”
“Oh, please do, I love celebrating love!” Lizzie said dreamily, and my brother just rolled his eyes playfully.
“Is that why you were so stressed while planning ours?”
“It is very different when you’re the one organizing it and when you’re just there as a guest,” she said slyly, and Regina laughed.
“Oh, I see how it is. You want me to suffer for your entertainment!”
“It’s the least you can do as my sister-in-law!”
“If you’re looking to party, Liz, you can organize something for our new pack members when they arrive,” I said and they all turned to me. “Oh, did I not mention this before? We’re getting five new pack members, three adults, and two pups.”
“Who?” Regina asked quietly, but I could feel her voice vibrating with held-back joy.
“Lucy, Calum, Liam, Nora and Declan. You can be officially introduced to our pack together with your friends,” I told her in a low voice.
“Oh, David,” she put her hand over her mouth and burst out crying.
“What have you done to her!” my mother yelled at me and I raised my arms in surrender.
“I gave her good news! I haven’t done anything!”
“No, no, it’s good, I’m happy,” Gina said, wiping her eyes. “Some of my friends will be moving here and I got emotional.”
“It’s okay, darling, let it out,” Mom said, patting her back gently, and my heart skipped a beat at the affectionate gesture. I knew that my mate could only benefit from that type of support in her life.
After everyone was gone, we were relaxing and drinking tea in the library, and my mind kept going back to Elizabeth’s question.
“Would you want to have a mating ceremony?” I asked Gina.
“Not really. But I’d understand if we had to have one.”
“Because of the pack, you mean?” I asked and she nodded. “Don’t worry about that, if you don’t care, I don’t care. My mark is on your neck - that’s all I care about.”
“You'd tell me if you cared, right?”
“I would,” I confirmed. “But you’ll quickly see that I'm a truly uncomplicated male who doesn’t need much to be happy. I’m not really one for public ceremonies and functions.”
“How unusual for a king,” she said with a half-smile.
“Remember how I told you that I would also work on becoming the right mate for you?” I looked at her and she nodded for me to continue. “Would you love me less if I weren’t king?”
She burst out laughing and it was the last thing I’d expected her to do.
“Oh, David. If possible, I’d love you more! Where are these questions coming from?”
“I really had time to think about things while I was in Spruce Mountain. About us, our future, my late father, and many other things that got swept under the rug because there was always so much to do after he died. And I realized that I was heading for a lifetime of professional frustration if I had to deal with this work all the time. I’m an Alpha and a warrior, I am no diplomat and no judge.”
“So what are you saying?”
“I was thinking of abdicating the throne, so to speak, and appointing John as the King. I’d bring it up at the next Alpha summit, and if they don’t agree, they can simply choose another one from among themselves to rule, it works out fine for me either way. Though I would prefer it to be John, since he is perfect for the role.”
“I agree,” Regina said. “You’re really serious about this?”
“I am.”
“And you’re not doing it for me?”
“I would be lying if I said I hadn’t taken your opinion into account, but it wasn't my main motivation. Our joint happiness was, and I think holding this office would become detrimental to it in the long run.”
“You know I told Dotty once, if her mate legend turned out to be true, I’d want to be mated to a lumberjack,” she laughed and I joined her.
“Sorry to disappoint you. I’ll probably still be an Alpha, but maybe the carpenter can help me become more adept with tools,” I winked at her, and she laughed again.
“You’ll finally earn an honest paycheck,” she said cheekily and it reminded me of something I had wanted to tell her.
“Speaking of money, I forgot to tell you that your portion of the pack assets and the inheritance from Henry will be transferred into your account in a couple of days.”
“I’m not sure I should be taking that money,” she said, visibly uncomfortable at the idea.
“It’s rightfully yours, so you can use it however you want. If you want to get rid of it, you can donate it.”
“Oh, I know!” her eyes lit up. “I’m going to use it for my enduring connection with Dorothy!”
“What do you mean?”
She launched into an enthusiastic explanation of that portion of her sessions with Dr. Jackson and as she elaborated on her plan to help she-wolves escape violent mating situations, I just sat there, listening to her talk, mesmerized by and eternally grateful for my mate’s ability to turn a horrifying tragedy into a beacon of hope for others.